Gestalt as Multiclass

[airwalkrr]

I think there is a thread here on this exact topic, but lacking a search function...

Have you used gestalt as a multiclassing option in your campaign? If so, how well did it work? How did you do it? The way I figure it would work is that the gestalt character gets 1/2 XP for two classes and 1/3 XP for three classes. That would seem to balance it out AD&D style. Assuming you found some way to keep gestalts lower level over all like that, what is your experience on it? Feel free to vote for multiple options if they apply to different campaigns. If you haven't used it, then just tell me what you think about it.

 

[Severion]

I like the Gestalt rules and have been trying to find a cool way to include them IMC, i may present this as an option (my players don't usually multiclass, and some have been playing since 2e)

 

[airwalkrr]

I am going to give this as an option to my players in my next home campaign. If they bite, I will relay my experience with it.

 

[green slime]

Well, rather than slapping on a XP penalty of 50% (or 67% for three classes), which would leave the gestalt character far, far behind at higher levels, you could just hit them with a LA of +1 for two classes, or +2 for three classes.

That way, they'd always be one or two levels behind the single classed characters.

Note, however, that +1 LA may be too little at higher levels

2nd level fighter versus 1st level Gestalt Fighter/mage sounds ok
17th level fighter versus 16th level Gestalt Fighter/mage doesn't. (+17 BAB vs +16 BAB, 16th CL)
But neither does 17th Fighter versus 8th level Gestalt Fighter/mage. (+8 BAB, 8th CL)
Compare to 1st Fighter, 6th Wizard, 10th Eldritch Knight. (+14 BAB, 15th CL +prerequisites).
Note that this problem is acute when gestalting non-similar classes.

Using an XP penalty to emulate AD&D multiclassing doesn't work well in 3.x because of the different scale of the XP chart. Perhaps a system of scaling LA could be worked out, where each 5 levels of gestalt afforded an increase of the LA penalty by 1. Sounds like too much bookkeeping, to me.

 

[airwalkrr]

Slime,

I mapped it out once assuming all encounters were of an EL equal to the party level using a four person party and it does not work out the way you imagine. Between 1st and 5th level, the gestalt character is typically even or one level behind. Between 6th and 9th, the gestalt character varies from between 1 or 2 levels behind. After 10th, the gestalt character oscilates indefinitely 2 or 3 levels behind with a roughly even time at both. So they are not far behind, and after 10th level, I think the ability to have all the abilities of two classes is a worthwhile trade for 2 or 3 levels of experience. A level adjustment accomplishes arguably the same thing.

If you use Level Independent XP Awards from Unearthed Arcana (my preferred method), the gestalt character drifts slowly behind until he lodges permanently at 2 levels behind.

 

[green slime]

Slime,

I mapped it out once assuming all encounters were of an EL equal to the party level using a four person party and it does not work out the way you imagine. Between 1st and 5th level, the gestalt character is typically even or one level behind. Between 6th and 9th, the gestalt character varies from between 1 or 2 levels behind. After 10th, the gestalt character oscilates indefinitely 2 or 3 levels behind with a roughly even time at both. So they are not far behind, and after 10th level, I think the ability to have all the abilities of two classes is a worthwhile trade for 2 or 3 levels of experience. A level adjustment accomplishes arguably the same thing.

If you use Level Independent XP Awards from Unearthed Arcana (my preferred method), the gestalt character drifts slowly behind until he lodges permanently at 2 levels behind.

Ahh. Sounds cool then. I'll be sure to check it out more closely when I get home tonight.

 

[Fieari]

A percentile XP hit is probably a bad idea, as XP doesn't work the same way as it did in 2e. I'd suggest a +2 LA for a single gestalt. I'd allow gestalting with an NPC class for +1. I wouldn't allow a three way gestalt at all, but if you really want to, +3 or +4 could work.

It's worth noting that gestalt doesn't usually improve power so much as versatility. You don't get extra actions per turn, after all. This changes if you allow gestalting with monstrous HD, which would allow for too much focus, and there are all sorts of broken things you can do if you allow gestalting two PRCs at once, or allow "multiclass-style" PRCs at all.